Orichalcum (and True Elements)

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Bonhumm
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Orichalcum (and True Elements)

Post by Bonhumm » Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:18 pm

Question:

Having a bit of an argument on whether Orichalcum (and/or any other True Elements) are 'magical' by nature or not.

In other words: if I was to switch to Astral Sight and check a orichalcum coin, a kernel of True Fire, would I see them as non-magical (bland) or magical (light-up)?

Thank you.

Tattered Rags
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Re: Orichalcum (and True Elements)

Post by Tattered Rags » Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:54 pm

(1) True elements are useful in providing certain properties to enchantments. At the very least, they are amenable to having certain magics tied to them. However, I think the idea is that they themselves provide this property. I'd have to check the companion to see if there is any detail on that.

(2) An elemental air coin rings and levitates when struck. Sounds like some magical property to me.

(3) Page 405 of the 4E player's guide states "[o]richalcum is a magical metal made up of all elements".

I would think they would light up to at least a minimal degree. However, a single kernel may be too small to really notice.
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Tattered Rags
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Re: Orichalcum (and True Elements)

Post by Tattered Rags » Wed Jun 26, 2019 4:32 pm

Page 152 of the 4E Companion speaks of the True elements providing the aspects (lightness, heat, etc.) to the item being enchanted and so most likely are magical in-and-of themselves rather than being receptive to specific enchantments (that is, true fire provides the heating aspect of the magic item rather than merely making it easier to enchant a heating "spell" on the item).
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Belenus
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Re: Orichalcum (and True Elements)

Post by Belenus » Thu Jun 27, 2019 9:31 am

If you read the Earthdawn novels and how and where some of the elements are mined (from the elemental space), ofcourse they have to be magical ;)

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Re: Orichalcum (and True Elements)

Post by Telarus » Mon Jul 01, 2019 3:26 am

+1

They are described as "something akin to pink-pick holes to the elemental planes" in some of the novels, and one of the 1st edition preview stories describes fire-cannon as "mana burst cannons"

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Re: Orichalcum (and True Elements)

Post by Tattered Rags » Mon Jul 01, 2019 2:04 pm

I'm being pedantic about this, but I've not seen anything that explicitly states everything from the elemental planes are magical. It's an assumption on our part that things from other planes are de facto magical. I think it's reasonable to assume that, but I don't think it can be taken as proof that true elements are magical (that true elements are magical would be evidence pointing to all things from the elemental planes being magical). Maybe kernels are really just the rocks and dirt of the other planes?

Hmm, now, as GM, I'm waffling between whether I want all things in the other planes to be magical or not.
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Re: Orichalcum (and True Elements)

Post by Telarus » Mon Jul 01, 2019 3:17 pm

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C Clarke

Anunnaki
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Re: Orichalcum (and True Elements)

Post by Anunnaki » Mon Jul 01, 2019 4:46 pm

Hiya,

ED1, "Magic: A Manual of Mystic Secrets." Quoting first few sentences from the True Elements section, p.53 (bolding mine):

"The True elements are the magical essences of the five elemental planes--air, earth, fire, water and wood--concentrated into physical form on the material plane. These highly magical substances form the basis of many of the magical arts in the world of Earthdawn."

And same book, Properties of the True Elements section, first sentence, p.54:

"Each True element contains unique magical properties."

And still same book, Orichalcum section, p.56:

"Because it contains all of the True elements, orichalcum is a highly magical material that, combined with other materials, produces magical items more powerful than those created using only one or two of the True elements."

Comparable, if not identical entries in the various editions of Earthdawn. Just thought we'd go back to the source on this one.

Hope this helps!

Take kaer, James
Last edited by Anunnaki on Mon Jul 01, 2019 5:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Bonhumm
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Re: Orichalcum (and True Elements)

Post by Bonhumm » Mon Jul 01, 2019 4:56 pm

Tattered Rags wrote:
Mon Jul 01, 2019 2:04 pm
I'm being pedantic about this, but I've not seen anything that explicitly states everything from the elemental planes are magical. It's an assumption on our part that things from other planes are de facto magical. I think it's reasonable to assume that, but I don't think it can be taken as proof that true elements are magical (that true elements are magical would be evidence pointing to all things from the elemental planes being magical). Maybe kernels are really just the rocks and dirt of the other planes?
This is exactly the doubts I was facing but now with Annunaki reply I got exactly what I needed: a canon answer.

Thank you all.

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Re: Orichalcum (and True Elements)

Post by Mataxes » Mon Jul 01, 2019 7:06 pm

James already kind of touched on it, but I want to say that the "magical" nature of orichalcum and true elements holds true in ED4 -- if you look at them with astral sight, they will "glow" as magic items.
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